CAN A GOOD OR NORMAL ECHO/24HOLTER EXAM RULE OUT (CAD)!!

Hello I just had a doppler echo...and a 24 holter that came back perfect ...as you might have saw in previous post.I was experiencing chest tightness and shortness of breath mostly while just walking....my echo came back 100% and my 24 holter i had only 1 pvc in 24 hours so what i wanted to know do these test see if a person has signs of cad or heart failure are they good markers if something was on those test would they be able to determine heart blockage!Thanks!

An echo looks at the valves and structure of the heart, and the twenty four hour holter records the heart beats, but neither would determine if you have blockages in the arteries. You would need a heart catherization or a stress test to investigate your heart arteries.

An EKG will show any electrical abnormalities due to damaged heart cells, usually the result of a previous heart attack. An EKG is NOT a good indicator of blocked arteries, it only measures the electrical impulses as it passes across the heart. You will need to have a stress test so they can monitor your EKG when your heart is stressed. They can see changes in the electrical impulses that may indicate a lack of blood supply to the heart muscle due to blocked arteries. An EKG alone will not pick up blockages.

I agree with erijon, you need a stress test given the symptoms you exhibit. My EKG (ECG) tests show previous heart damage. It also can show a heart attack that is happening during the ECG. Chest tightness and especially breathlessness when exercising has been my bellweather of a new blockage, and I have a lot of stents from lots of blockages. I'm in remission, apparently from very tight diet, good drugs and exercise, but I walk or work out daily, and if I notice any change in breathlessness or chest tightness, I get to the doctor. I don't get a lot of chest pain, even with my heart attacks, but that is common among those of us who are diabetic. If you are getting chest tightness and breathlessness with walking exercise, I very definitely would ask for a stress test, and the sooner the better. A heart Catherization is the gold standard, and that usually follows a positive stress test.

If you are having chest discomfort and breathlessness, you need a stress test.

Looks like I'm the odd one out lol. I don't believe that an exercise tolerance test reveals
coronary artery problems in all cases. I passed all my treadmill tests in 2007 after my
stent was fitted and the machine picked up no abnormalities. I wish I had a picture of
my coronary arteries that I can show you. Nuclear scans have all shown I am as fit as an
ox. My cardiologist said the only way to be sure about the arteries is to actually LOOK at them, either with CT or Angio.
There are also additional factors to take into account when performing the tolerance test.
Temperature is one thing. The room was warm when I did mine, yet if I walked outside in
cold air I could hardly get my breath. The time between consuming food and walking also
affects your ability.

Ed is correct, although a stress test is a very good predictor of future cardiac events and CAD, it can miss some, the only way to know for sure is an angiogram. Even the accuracy of a CT are still being debated. The problem is, no cardiologist will go directly to an invasive procedure like an angio without first performing a stress test. If the stress test is abnormal, they will move to an angio. If the stress test is normal and you still have symptoms, they will move to an angio. Keep in mind that a nuclear stress test is about 85-90% accurate so it's the right place to start.

im statrting to think i have a blockade artery i just went to the deli and my chest felt like there was a belt around it and i felt my heart beating very fast ...is this what angina feels like tightness in the chest when i sit down it subsides but im very scared thats my point why would my cardio guy schedule a nuclear stress for 2 weeks from now ....that far away and i might have significant blockage and the r will never test for blockage they only give you ekg but they dont let you know if you have blockage according to the forum!!what im i supposed to do wait to i have a heart attack!

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